Harold Baines vs Jeff Kent: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harold Baines played 1980–2001 as a hitter; Jeff Kent played 1992–2008 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Jeff Kent (1992–2008) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs; Jeff Kent finished with 2,461 hits and 377 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harold Baines, with 384 to Jeff Kent's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Kent, with .855 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jeff Kent, with .290 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Jeff Kent's 2,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Jeff Kent's 1,518.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harold Baines, with 25,497 career PIV to Jeff Kent's 22,166.
- Who won more championships? Jeff Kent, with 1 World Series title to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Jeff Kent
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Jeff Kent. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Jeff Kent |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,298 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 8,498 |
| Runs | 1,299 | Leads: 1,320 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,461 |
| Doubles | 488 | Leads: 560 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 377 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,518 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 801 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,522 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 94 |
| Batting Avg | .289 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .356 | .356 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harold Baines leads Jeff Kent 25,497 to 22,166 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Harold Baines played 27 seasons to Jeff Kent's 19, while Jeff Kent carries the higher per-season figure (1,167 to 944). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Harold Baines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jeff Kent — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and OBP, while Jeff Kent owns runs, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. PIV agrees: Harold Baines grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Jeff Kent careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Jeff Kent (1992–2008) overlapped from 1992 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,830 games against 2,298 across 27 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Jeff Kent struck out more than walked (1,522 to 801). In slugging percentage, Jeff Kent holds the edge, .500 to .465. Best seasons: 1999 for Harold Baines (.977 OPS, 24 HR, 81 RBI, .322 avg) and 2000 for Jeff Kent (1.021 OPS, 33 HR, 125 RBI, .334 avg).
Harold Baines vs Jeff Kent: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Jeff Kent?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Jeff Kent in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Jeff Kent hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Jeff Kent's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Kent, with .855 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jeff Kent, with .290 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Jeff Kent's 2,461.